April 3, 1994 – Frank Wells, Former President of The Walt Disney Company, Dies in a Helicopter Accident
“It was Easter Sunday, 1994, and a single event in Nevada’s Ruby Mountains would set in motion an unimaginable chain of events.” – Don Hahn
On April 3, 1994, the President of the Walt Disney Company, Frank Wells, while attempting to return from a ski trip, died in a helicopter crash in the Ruby Mountains of Nevada. It was the only helicopter crash in the company’s history at that point. Wells’ death brought a shadow over the company. Peter Schneider said, “Frank was the peacemaker amongst all these tremendous egos, and when Frank died, there was no one to talk to.” With Wells’ death, the already fragile atmosphere of the Disney Studios began to crumble, especially with Jeffrey Katzenberg lobbying for Wells’ job. Michael Eisner and Roy Disney did not wish to give the job to Katzenberg, and were angry about the amount of publicity Katzenberg seemed to get when promoting a film, instead of the film getting the attention. Wells truly brought life back into the company with Eisner, helping bring about the Disney renaissance. The Lion King, which was in production when Wells died, was dedicated to his memory.
Wells was a classmate of Roy Disney’s in college, and had convinced Disney to make Michael Eisner the chairman of Disney Studios in the 1980s. Disney remarked that the relationship between Eisner and Wells reminded him of his dad and Walt, and brought both on as the heads of the studio. Don Hahn remarked on their partnership, “Michael was kind of the sane one. Frank, he did bold and crazy things like swimming oceans, climbing the great summits of the world, and calling at 3 a.m. to ask what Goofy’s original name was.” Wells kept himself humble while he worked at the top, and was known for being the peacemaker between Eisner, Disney, and Katzenberg. At the memorial service, Michael Eisner said of Wells, “While we all…grieve [Frank’s death], we all share the joy of having known Frank. That is why we are here today, to remember…and to celebrate, to pay tribute to one man who had magic and to share the magic with him through his whole creative life.”
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